but there's something about the connection that president obama himself feels with nelson mande mandela. it's something that he shared tonight in a very powerful and poignant statement. >> i am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from nelson mandela's life. my very first political action, the first thing i ever did that involved an issue or policy or politics was a protest against apartheid. i would study his words and his writings. the day he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when they're guided by their hopes and not by their fears. and like so many around the globe, i cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that nelson mandela set. and so long as i live, i will do what ki to learn from him. >> reporter: since the president learned of the news, brian, and we can show the white house release this photo, the president himself has been watching all the coverage sort of digesting it the way a lot of us are today as a way to remember nelson mandela. >> chuck todd from the white house for us tonight. thanks. and we're happy once